Tentative Deal Averts Potential Strike by NYC Apartment Building Workers

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Union leaders representing thousands of New York City apartment building workers, including doorpersons, superintendents, and other staff, have reached a tentative contract agreement with building owners, averting a potential strike that would have affected an estimated 1.5 million residents across the city. The deal came just days before the workers' previous contract was set to expire.

Why it matters

A strike by the 32BJ SEIU union, which hadn't called a work stoppage in 35 years, would have caused major disruptions for apartment residents, including trash removal, package delivery, and building maintenance. The negotiations highlighted the ongoing tensions between workers seeking higher wages and benefits and building owners facing rising costs.

The details

The tentative agreement was reached after tense negotiations, with the union bristling at proposals from building owners to have employees start paying health insurance premiums and create a new, lower-paid job classification for future hires. Workers sought to boost wages and pensions, arguing that current pay averaging $62,000 per year for doorpersons makes it difficult to afford the high cost of living in the New York area, even as building owners have collected sharply rising rents in recent years.

• The previous contract for the nearly 34,000 workers was set to expire at midnight on Monday, April 21, 2026.
• The union's last strike, in 1991, lasted 12 days.

What’s next

The tentative contract agreement will now be put to a vote by the union members.